学前儿童迷走神经活动与情绪反应、情绪调节及冲动性的关系

Porges的多迷走神经理论提出迷走神经活动(vagal activity)与儿童的情绪及社会行为密切联系,已有研究探讨了儿童迷走神经活动与儿童的情绪反应及调节的关系,但研究结论不够清晰,需要进一步研究澄清。本研究选取93名4-6岁学前儿童被试,运用生理测量手段与呼吸性窦性心律不齐(respiratory sinus arrhythmia,RSA)分析的方法,采用父母报告的学前儿童情绪反应强度、情绪调节能力、冲动性为结果变量,进一步探讨儿童迷走神经活动(以基线RSA、RSA撤出、RSA恢复为指标)与情绪反应、情绪调节及冲动性的关系。研究发现:(1)基线RSA与儿童情绪反应强度显著负相关,与儿童情绪调节能力显著正相关,基线RSA是儿童情绪反应强度显著负向预测因子,是儿童情绪调节能力的显著正向预测因子;(2)RSA撤出、RSA恢复性与儿童冲动性显著负相关,是儿童冲动性显著负向预测因子。研究结果支持了Porges的多迷走神经理论,表明迷走神经活动与儿童情绪反应、情绪调节及冲动性密切联系。

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia is Associated with Emotional Reactivity,Emotion Regulation and Impulsivity in Preschooler

Polyvagal theory and previous researches both provided clues to the close relationship between vagal tone, vagal regulation and emotional reactivity and regulation of children. But as yet, there is no direct evidence that the vagal tone, vagal regulation related to children's emotional activity and regulation. By neurophysiological measurement and children's parent reporting questionnaire method, this study investigated the baseline cardiac vagal tone, indexed by baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), vagal suppression during stress task, indexed by RSA withdrawal, and vagal recovery after stress task, indexed by RSA recovery in relation to emotional reactivity, emotion regulation and trait impulsivity in 93 children aged 4-6. Results indicated that (1) baseline RSA was significantly negatively correlated with children's emotional reactivity but positively correlated with children's ability of emotion regulation. Baseline RSA was a significant negative predictor to emotional reactivity and a positive expectation for emotion regulation. (2) RSA withdrawal and RSA recovery both significantly negatively correlated with level of children's impulsivity and also a significant negative predictive factor to impulsiveness. This study provided some evidences to the hypothesis proposed by polyvagal theory that both cardiac vagal tone and its regulation are physiological basis of children's emotion activity and regulation.